Moonlight : The Darkest of Night
by SyahiraSharif
Summary: A series of public vampire death and massacres alerted the vampire community over the threat of exposure. Now all depended on PI Mick St John with the help of his ex, Detective Beth Turner, before all hell breaks loose while Josef Kostan found a dangerous ally in a form of a vampire huntress to find his love. (hiatus until General Election ended, dad kept hogging the PC)
1. Summary

In 1955, the vampire Josef Kostan met and fell in love with Sarah Whitley. However, things went wrong when she failed to wake up and remained in coma. Several decades later, the sleeping beauty woke up but she went missing and Josef was left searching. Several years later, someone broke into Josef's apartment and stole information relating to his lost love. With this fresh lead, he trace the intruder and found a woman who knew more about him than he ever revealed to anyone. But things doesn't always as it seems.

While on the haunt for a rogue murderous vampiress, Dara found herself face to face with the infamous billionaire playboy vampire, Josef Kostan. Despite her training as a vampire hunter, she will need all help she can get even if it was to gain a vampire's trust or risk everything including the vampire's secrecy and her heart.

A series of public vampire deaths has made the vampire communities at its feet. The private investigator Mick St John were sent to investigate only that it leads to his old flame, Beth Turner. After finding out that their relationship will never be normal via the hard way, Beth Turner left Mick to pursue a career in law enforcement and became a police detective herself. With the increasing risk of exposure, the fate of the vampires now lies between them.


	2. Prologue

"Now I remember why I hate fieldwork," Josef groaned out loud and gingerly touching his injured side. He could feel the larger wood shard piercing through his organs but the splinters went even deeper with every breath he take. Neither of the offending materials was near to his heart which could be enough to paralyze him but pain in any other names remained as pain.

He decided to concentrate on the woman at his side who was trying to dislodge the large part of the wood with a plier. Every movement she made meant sending his nerves on fire. Without any warning, he couldn't barely scream as Dara extracted the large shards out in one hard pull. Josef slammed his body against the mattress and grit his teeth as the pain began to pummel him in waves upon waves of pain.

"You're an immortal to boot, stop screaming like that or you're send cops into this apartment. Damn, there's got to be splinters in that," Dara observed the open wound which seemed to barely heal on its own. Pulling up her sleeves, she offered her wrist to him. Josef tried to open his eyes but his pain rendered him deaf to her offerings.

"You need to feed," Dara nudged him, trying to make him aware of what she's offering.

Finally, when he was able to raised his head without feeling a truck had run over him, he looked at her with a healthy dose of wariness. "Didn't you say you'd rather die than offer me your blood? And I might kill you in this state," he breathed weakly.

Shaking her head, she pressed her wrist against his stubborn lips. "You've already find out that I am a lot harder to be killed. Just do it, Josef."

Unwillingly, Josef could feel his fangs lengthening and his eyes burning behind its socket. The blood lost is taking a toll on his primal side and for some reason he couldn't find a reason to say no. He opened his mouth and tasted her skin. The scent of her blood calling him. He knew this is a mistake but he didn't have the strength to deny his hunger for her. Not when she offered everything to him and willingly.

Josef's eyes shone bright silver and then he let everything lose.


	3. Chapter 1

**Author's Note : **From this point on, everything is unedited and is a draft (in fact, this is one of my Camp NaNoWriMo April project). I am not a native English speaker so things does escapes me until I decide on revising it. As a disclaimer, the original characters and the basis of the story is owned by the CBS. But since its open-ended and a lot of the things in the TV is unexplored, whatever I do to them, it may not up to your liking and it can go on to be an original story on its own. I'll try to make it readable especially if you haven't watch the series fully. If you want a direct response to any comments, feel free to tweet me to syahirasharif.

**Chapter 1**

There was nothing in the world as calming as the sound of the night and the silence in the air. There she heard the sound of crickets and things rustling in the darkness, blocking out the deafening sound of the people and its traffic that never sleep.

The silent movement in the air that rustle the leaves from its perch, some of the dried ones following the night's breeze began to rain down to the ground. Moonlight shone over the park, bathing the area in a silvery silhouette.

A piece of the nature surrounded by the modernity in life. But in this carefully secluded haven filled with greeneries. The red roses with its thorns carefully plucked surrounding the enclosure like a cocoon. But in the midst of it, a woman in white walk barefooted onto its ground. She was barely whispering but the sound carried her voice in the air, one could hear her mumbling while the others swear that she was humming. If any of them ever hear the woman's voice, they could hear her sing.

"Sincerely, oh you know how I love you. I'll do anything for you. Please say you'll be mine…"

The moonlight gave the woman a halo around her as she weaved through the pebbled pathway without caring the sharp stones digging into her flesh until it bleed raw. But the woman didn't care for the pain nor does she care for the world around her except for the night itself. An old man who had no where to go and was bundling up with some old musty thin mattress on one of the outdoor seats heard the soft hymn. He looked up through his heavy gray eyebrows and saw an ethereal figure walking pass by him.

"Oh Lord, won't you tell me why I love that fella so…"

"Are you alright, miss?" The old man abandoned his warm musty mattress for the woman who was walking without looking where she's going. He was worried after hearing some girls were attacked by rapists and muggers in this park and he didn't want to see this pretty woman becoming one of the victims. Not when this one look fine and fragile like a flower. "Do you need help?"

"He doesn't want me…" sang the woman as she continued on without giving a response that she heard the old man. The homeless man went nearer to the lady. In his mind, a woman such as this need a guardian around her especially during the nights here. They are on a lighted part of the pavement which was illuminated ahead of them but as the man neared the woman, he noticed something odd about the woman's dark summer dress.

"Miss, are you hurt?" he rasped when he saw the white dress was stained with something dark and dripping on the ground as she move. The man find himself hurrying up to catch up with the woman and reach out to grab hold of her arm.

"But I'll never, never, never, never let him go…" she said with a small voice as she stopped on her track. To the one who was holding her, he began to feel something off with this lady. There's a distinct smell of something metallic coming from her and her arm which he was holding was ice cold.

He turned the woman to him without difficulty as she let him. But he didn't look to the woman face as his eyes fell down on her front. He gave a strangled gasp and took a step backward. The dress was originally white but instead it was covered in wet liquid that soaked through the dress. Even without proper lighting, he had been in situation that made him recognize the wetness as it is.

Blood.

He looked up to the woman face and saw a feature that rivalled the beauty of any pictures he had seen advertised on the city's billboard. The moonlight and the park's light gave her dark tresses a reddish glow while her porcelain skin was in an unearthly tone even when it was covered in blood. But he became captivated by her most expressive eyes. The bright eyes ringed in silver and red blood with an insanity gleam that matched her deep red lips. The lips stained with dark red gloss with the white opalescent teeth. Teeth with sharp predatory incisors that was predominantly feral and lethal.

The poor old man could only give a strangled scream before death consumed him.

* * *

The view of Los Angeles was wondrous in the dark and even more in the hillside mansion with the grandiose view of the city. From where he was sitting, he could see the buildings and streets covered in illuminating ember lights, thus giving an ombre stain to night's sky. The accommodating view that was almost as priceless as the prime spot of where the estate reside.

It was moment before midnight when Josef Kostan spend his nights in leisure on his butter-soft leather couch, holding a fine Baccarat crystal glass half-filled with red wine laced with fresh blood and a leggy blonde drowsing at his side. Nothing in life is more exceptional than the life as a vampire. Or so he thought until he became crippled by the emptiness that never seem to fade away.

His eyes travelled to the glass in his hand. He swirl the dark liquid until he could sense the bouquet of Pinot noir grapes intermingled with the undertones of the pungent smell of fresh blood. To a human, it was more than foul but to a vampire, it was ambrosia.

Vampires doesn't become drunk on alcohol as they do with blood. Their bodies tend to metabolize the acetaldehydes quicker and thus they required a constant volume to be intoxicated. But mixing the two does help retain the edge off and numb his emotions to a degree. Something of a habit he had accustomed in these past few years.

Josef rubbed his unshaved jaw and wondered how many days had he went without shaving. Despite being immortal, human things like personal hygiene is still one of the things a vampire have to live. Its like a reminder of their human past life before death change them. Then again, he would die again if he was doomed with past several eras worth of ever changing norm of hair style. There are some things a 414 years old vampire could live on but not for medieval fashion senses.

His phone vibrated on the coffee table where he had propped his legs. He had ignored several long calls and all of those went to voice mail. Then again, as if people still use voice mails instead of texting. But this is a night reserved only for himself and his needs. For all he cared, the world can be engulfed in hellfire and still he would care even lesser than that.

But fate doesn't always agree with him.

"Mr Kostan?" a familiar voice echoed from the front door. It was his sometime PA and hacker extraordinaire, Rider England who choose this moment to wake up the two very naked freshies at his side. "Mr Kostan, I hope I wasn't bothering you."

Giving a thin smile to no one, Josef give a silent command to the girls to go home and ignored them as he focus on his drink instead. Rider looked down with a small smile as the girls understood that they have been dismissed and silently collect their clothes and left the room.

"Now what is it that you find the need to bother me at this hour," Josef muttered. He knew it was barely a couple of hours before dawn and his PA wouldn't have bother him in this hour.

"I'm sorry, sir. But you didn't pick up my calls."

"Busy is the word, Mr England. Can be aptly replaced with 'Do Not Disturb'. All these years, I thought you'd remember that."

Rider gulped down the thinly veiled threat. He knew it was wrong to bother his boss but it was important. Anyone could have lose their job for this. With him, it was probably his life. "It is urgent, sir."

"Out with it," Josef stood up. His unbuttoned shirt hang loosely as he reached for the expensive wine bottle and drain its content into his glass.

"There's a security breech, sir. Someone is hacking into your computer."

Josef eyebrows drew together as he processed this. "And here I am, realizing that I've overpaid someone who assured me that it won't happen. "

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Stop repeating that, you're giving me a headache." Josef rubbed his eyebrows and went to the kitchen for the blood jug he had stored for his consumption while his assistant followed him.

"The programming system was impenetrable but we didn't realize there's a leak until we realize it too late."

"Late?"

"Over an hour ago…" Rider said hesitantly. Josef give him a pointed gaze while pouring a healthy dose of blood into his drink and nodded for him to continue. "The hacker didn't go for other sensitive information about the company except for your own files…"

Josef frowned at this. "They want something specific?"

"Very specific," Rider began to fidget but try to calm himself by putting his hands together. He knew that he had screwed badly in his job. Well, he thought, it didn't matter anyway if the vampire going to kill him now. "The hacker seemed focused on a very specific information. On Sarah Whitley."

Suddenly, Josef was in front of Rider and was grabbing the PA's collar until the overgrown boy choked in his saliva. "What did they take?"

Rider gasped against the strong grip and tried to catch some air but the vampire was relentless. "The address… in New York."

Josef let his PA drop on the ground and run through his hair with a shaking fingers.

"Why now?" he wondered and grab the kitchen's phone and started dialling for his private jet service. Whatever this mean, someone is seeking information about his lost love and they knew where he kept it.

In New York where it all begins.


	4. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Josef have been waiting without alerting anyone of his presence in town. Its been days since he had flown from LA immediately after the hacking scare. Ever since he had release the elderly caretaker from his employment, the apartment haven't had a living soul inside since that day when she went missing.

The apartment was still in exact same condition since that fateful day except for the medical equipments which he had donated to a nearby hospital. Maybe he kept it that way as a hopeful gesture that Sarah would come back and wait for him.

Technically, having the address stolen from him was a long shot for him to find whether its a real lead for her disappearance. But this is the only lead he had that was directly related to her ever since he stopped his efforts in trying to find her.

In the darkness still he waited without moving. For a vampire of his age, staying still for a couple of hours is nothing. Time is ever fluid and as a watcher of its passing, hours is like seconds.

Then he heard the front door's lock slid open. His senses were heightened as he waited for his prey to enter his trap. He could hear the calm heart beats and the soft footstep as the intruder entered.

Whoever it was, the person took some time in the hallway before taking the stairs.

As she neared, Josef took the passing scent with curiosity. It was unfamiliar but is uniquely feminine and human. He saw the sliver of light as she navigate herself through the darkness and she creep into Sarah's bedroom. Josef stalked closer and took his time observing the dark clad woman opening the drawers, checking the bed and the wardrobe without missing a beat.

With the stealth as a vampire, Josef strode directly behind her and reach to disarm her and found him reaching for the air instead as she move away and avoided his capture. Josef blinked when a swift kick on his stomach threw him out of balance and another kick from under his jaw brought an immediate headache. But he recovered immediately before she could launch another attack and swiftly disarm her with her body trapped against his and his arm around her neck.

"You move an inch and I break this neck of yours," Josef hissed as the and he felt his fang burst out of his gum. He motioned their bodies facing to the vanity mirror. His bright eyes gleamed in the dark and his features became the face of a predator. "Who are you? What are you doing in my apartment?"

Normally, Josef had a rule against harming any woman especially female human but after all her stunts, he wasn't so sure about that rule anymore. Now that they were close, he could feel blood carousing down her veins and he began to salivate.

"Cat got your tongue?" he whispered against her ears. He listen to her rising heart rate but she didn't give out the telltale sign of fear or panic. Instead, she stared at him from the mirror without giving any expression out of the ordinary.

He was surprised that she looked like an average young college student despite her obvious knack at self-defence and housebreaking. She had a insignificant average face that didn't set her apart from any other woman in his life which he preferred as company. Her eyes were dark as her short dark hair which tickled his face as he leaned even closer. In the dark he wasn't sure whether her skin is olive or tanned. If he had known any better, he wouldn't have point her out in the sea of people in the street.

"How a sweet girl like you get into this line of work?" he murmured as his head angled down until he could feel her luscious neck against his fangs. Maybe that was a mistake for her part as he felt the knowing hunger that was edging toward blood lust. Her blood called to him with every breath she took. "Do I have to repeat the question for you?"

She give a slight snort which he lifted his eyes to the mirror and saw the girl giving him a mocking smile of defiance.

Taking that in consideration he quirk a mocking smile of his own. He nudge her head further aside and his mouth caressed her skin, finding the vein that leads to her heart.

It happened in a flash of a second when a sharp needle went deep into his body and a sharp overwhelming pain consumed him. He yelled out in pain and in his agony he let her go. That was a mistake on his part when a sharp kick brought him down again to the floor but this time he was too incapacitated to do anything. His shaking hand went over to the source of pain and with a yelp he pull out a small syringe and crushed it in his hand. His vision began to waver in the dark but he was able to see the intruder lean toward him and he became entranced by her eyes.

"Good night, Josef Konstantin."

Suddenly a sharp needle went through his chest cavity and thats all he could remember before a haze of pain engulfed him until he embrace the welcoming darkness.

* * *

"Hey, Beth, you've got company."

Beth Turner was finishing her report on the computer when looked up and gave a smile to Hannah, the office's receptionist but the smile fell when she saw the man standing behind the woman. Her eyes caught his stares and she stood up and pointed to the seat in front of her. The tall dark-haired vampire give a harmless smile to the younger girl as he went into her office. Beth caught Hannah's gaze at Mick's backside before the door closed.

"Mick. It's been a long time. What do I owe you this pleasure?" Beth said carefully. Keep it professional, she thought, while she tried to keep the nervousness inside. In the moment of awkward silence between them, her gaze travelled to his features. Its been several years since the last time they were together in a room. Not since that night when they broke apart and then he choose to leave LA without telling her. He kept his hair shorter now than the slightly shaggy curled look which she had loved running through her fingers. She broke the line of thought with a slight clearing of her throat.

Mick smiled. "You still look even more beautiful now, Beth."

Beth blinked and felt her cheeks heating. She lift a stray hair behind her ear and tried not to cringe at his stare. Who was he kidding? Its been years, she knew her look had changed. She wasn't like the vampire who stopped ageing since the mid-50s.

"I don't suppose you'd came down here from Seattle to say that."

"No, I don't." Mick chuckled and laid a folder on top of her desk. "I need your help."

Beth's wary eyes travelled to the plain manila folder. Business as always. "That is a bit too thin for an excessive visit across several states."

"I wouldn't call it excessive," he started.

"Don't you have PIs in Washington?"

"Its a request, Beth. You'll be heavily compensated for it."

"Well, why don't the person who make the request would show up for it?"

Mick licked his lips. "He thought you'd help if I approach you personally."

Beth gritted her teeth, barely keeping her resentment in check. "Josef Kostan?"

Mick's smile thinned. "He needed some help with some investigating here in LA."

"And you have to tell me about it yourself that can't be told from a phone call? Besides, there's a lot other detective you can find in here. Especially since now that you're here. No one is better to handle a vampire business than a veteran like you."

"He need help with some things happening last night and I'm only overnighting before I go to him in New York."

"New York? He's planning another Occupy Wall Street? I heard that went well."

"Its about the last time we went there together," he give her a pointed look.

Beth leaned back against her padded office chair. "The sleeping beauty? He found her?"

"Not exactly."

Beth rubbed her aching temple and eyed him warily. "You know what he did before, Mick. Its been years but I still don't forgive him for that. If he want help, he should have known better not to include me."

"We're what we are," Mick said carefully. Vampires. He didn't bother to elaborate. There are those unspoken words. Things that weren't meant to be understood for someone like her. The rules of vampire secrecy as he used to say. Beth kept her sneer hidden but he knew it was there.

"What sort of work?"

"He was hacked a couple of days ago. The folder came with the informations from his PA. He'll come over if you want more. He knew where it came from but Josef want more _research _about her."

"Her?" Beth give a smirk. "That does sound like him."

"It was a bit more complicated than that."

It was well after midnight when Mick left her office. Beth stayed behind with eyes on the opened folder from her ex. With that amount of money, she could have solved some of her financial problems and potential problems in the future. She slipped the folder into her briefcase before she knew better to leave it there out in the open. Her eyes travelled to the wall clock and she went over to the connecting door at the side of her office which was used for filing and a place to sleep during the night when there's simply too much work. She leaned against the door frame and looked at Hannah who was giving her a tired smile.

"I'm sorry," Beth whispered and silently creep over the carpeted floor to the couch where Hannah was sitting with a sleeping girl on her lap.

"What about the other guy?" Hannah asked. "Got a job that made you stop looking at the time?"

"Sorry. Yes, it was something like that."

She leaned over and kiss the toddler on her cheek before bringing her body against her and lifted her off the couch.

"Mama?" the little girl whispered in her sleep as Beth took her daughter's backpack along with her briefcase and waited for Hannah to lock down the office.

She knew things will never went alright with Mick back in her life again. But now she had a lot at stake now with the past decided to catch up on her. Even if she had to suffer a broken heart again.


End file.
